Live Review: The Ghost Inside - O2 Ritz, Manchester
Support: Gideon, Boundaries
12th October 2024
Words: Matthew Williams
Photos: Nic Howells
Metalcore is one of those sub genres of the metal scene that I have never really got into, which is somewhat of a surprise really, as it combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, both of which I really enjoy. So, it’s with some trepidation that I set off for a night of metalcore madness at the O2 Ritz in Manchester, headlined by one of the titans of the scene, The Ghost Inside.
I walk in just as Boundaries take the stage and bring their hardcore breakdowns with them. The five piece from Hartford, Connecticut, have frontman Matt McDougal and bassist Nathan Calcagno shouting all sorts of crazy instructions to a rabid crowd who are lapping it up, and by the time they play the impressive “Darkness Shared” the audience are fully involved.
With songs such as “Is Survived By” and “My Body is a Cage” and the excellent “Turning Hate into Rage”, they encourage the “beautiful Manchester crowd” to get the crowd surfers up here whilst insisting that this might be the “coolest show they've played in the UK so far”.
Song of their set for me was “I'd Rather Not Say” but disappointingly, they asked for a circle pit that doesn't really get very far before “We are Boundaries, thanks for coming” and final song “Easily Erased” is dispatched in a bruising fashion before they disappear.
With Limp Bizkit playing in between bands, Gideon frontman Daniel McWhorter saunters onto the stage looking like an extra from Yellowstone and barks at the crowd to “listen the fuck up, move this place right now motherfuckers” and off we go.
With “Bite Down” going down an absolute storm, McWhorter demands that “Manchester, you've got more in you than that, give it to me” and the heads are bobbing up and down in unison. The frontman is a big old chap and looks quite uncomfortable when he occasionally does a few kicks on stage, but not as funny as the rather large gent near me who did one and fell over.
They get through a fair few songs with “Locked out of Heaven”, “More Power, More Pain” and “Take Off” being delivered at a rapid pace and he’s doing a decent job of getting the crowd involved. I do get the feeling in parts that it’s a bit like doing hardcore by numbers, no frills sort of stuff but it’s effective, nonetheless.
The last three songs however, are pure metalcore gold, with the frontman taunting the crowd, “what you scared of Manchester? Where my crowd surfers at? Get the fuck up here” and they duly oblige, during “Damned If I Do (Damned If I Don’t)”, “Cursed” and then just before “No Love/No One” there’s a massive crowd surge and it just goes off. With Shania Twain blasting over the PA, off they go.
With drummer Andrew Tkaczyk firmly situated in place, you can sense the anticipation around the venue, and with the backing track kicking in, The Ghost Inside vocalist Jonathan Vigil starts the intro to “Death Grips” and it goes absolutely batshit crazy. With the flashing lights, you can see the heads of the crowdmoving all over the place, and there’s no let up with “Earn It” coming next.
“Thanks for coming out Manchester. Two songs in and you’ve already topped last year’s gig here” and when “The Great Unknown” starts playing, the three blokes stood near me, look at each other, down the dregs of the pints and head off into the pit, to join the chaos. “We are going to play songs from ten years ago, songs from twelve years ago and songs from sixteen years ago, are you ready for that Manchester?” says an energetic Vigil, who doesn’t stand still for long, and the crowd shares his energy.
He seems quite emotional throughout, thanking the crowd, “as you’ve got no idea what it feels like to be a band who are so far away from home and for you to sing our songs, old and new” They rip through “Dear Youth (Day 52)” and then the excellent “Split”. When he spits out the words “For Whom the Bell Tolls” I got massively excited and thought it was going to be a cover of one of my favourite Metallica songs, but instead they play “Mercy” and more chaos ensues from the spinning kick massive assembled in the venue.
During the chaos and the madness, they even had time for a bit of footy banter, with one of the guitarists saying he was a Liverpool fan, which was met by a cacophony of boos, well except from me, as I applauded him, then we have a song written about stuff that pissed Vigil off, “and it’s a time of bad memories, but as band we turned it around” this was the gripping “Pressure Point” and they follow it up with “Out of Control” and the more melodic “Wash It Away” which has a sort of early Linkin Park feel to it in parts.
Another new song follows, “Light Years” and the crowd still have lots of energy. “We are so lucky to still be a band. We’ve been together since 2008 and this is our third show in the UK on this tour, and we are loving it. This is a test for all of you who’ve been with is from the start” as they introduce “Faith or Forgiveness” which is more hardcore, and Vigil stands at the front of the pit, with the adoring masses clambering to get to him before he’s ushered away.
The crowd go mental during “Between the Lines” and then “Avalanche” when the crowd surfers are at their peak. “This next song is all about being given a second chance” as “Aftermath” begins, and they finish up with the fiery “Engine 45” to complete a set that has been full on from the word go. An entertaining night, even for this non metalcore sceptic.
Photo Credits: Nic Howells
